What Makes a Good Poem?
In the world of art and entertainment, everything is subjective. Millions of fans loved that blockbuster film that dominated theaters last year, but maybe you found it lacking in substance. Maybe some of the great works of literature you were forced to read in school left you wondering why they were considered important enough to…Read More
Poetry Prompts for the End of the Year
The end of another year is just around the corner. It’s a busy season packed with holiday shopping, gatherings with friends and family, and preparations for the new year ahead. Maybe you don’t have time to sit and write the way you usually do. Maybe your head is spinning with all the things you have…Read More
A Handy Book for Poets – Poetry: Tools & Techniques: A Practical Guide to Writing Engaging Poetry
I have found it quite challenging to find good books on the craft of poetry writing. My favorite resource, which is also the most comprehensive, is Perrine’s Sound and Sense. But that’s a costly book because it’s used in college-level poetry courses. For years, I’ve kept up a search for a simpler, more affordable book…Read More
All-Natural Poetry Prompts
Throughout the centuries, poets have composed meditations on seasons, landscapes, and constellations. Vegetation and animals have been the subjects of countless poems, and even when poetry is not centered around nature, it often makes references to it. In poetry, nature can function as a backdrop, or it can hold center stage. Why are so many poets…Read More
Family-Inspired Poetry Prompts
Writers are always looking for new ideas. Sometimes we look so far and wide for inspiration that we’re oblivious to what’s right in front of us. They say, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.” In life, we are presented with many choices, but family is not one of them. It’s…Read More
Five Poetry Prompts
You know what’s great about writing prompts? On those days when you’re feeling uninspired but you want to write, they’re there for you. On days when you want to get your writing practice in but don’t particularly feel like writing, they’re there for you. Writing prompts give you a little push to kick-start a writing…Read More
36 Poetry Writing Tips
Poetry is the most artistic and liberating form of creative writing. You can write in the abstract or the concrete. Images can be vague or subtle, brilliant or dull. Write in form, using patterns, or write freely, letting your conscience (or subconscious) be your guide. You can do just about anything in a poem. That’s…Read More
Poetry Writing Ideas and Activities
A poem can come out of nowhere and land on the page, fully formed, in just a few minutes. A poem can also be the result of hours (or weeks) of laboring over line breaks, word choices, images, and rhythm. Poems are funny little things, appearing out of nowhere and disappearing for no apparent reason….Read More
Poetry: Rhythm and Meter
Rhythm is everywhere: we hear it in the hum of vehicles and appliances. We feel it when we walk or run. We see it in the very rising and setting of the sun. Even our hearts beat to a rhythm. Rhythm is built into the way we experience and perceive the world. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary offers several…Read More
From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Haiku
Today’s writing exercise comes from my book, 101 Creative Writing Exercises, which takes writers on an exciting journey through different forms and genres while providing writing techniques, practical experience, and inspiration. Each chapter focuses on a different form or writing concept: freewriting, journaling, memoirs, fiction, storytelling, form poetry, free verse, characters, dialogue, creativity, and article and…Read More
